<p>This week, I sit down with Stephanie Lind—a sales powerhouse and the founder of Elohi Strategic Advisors. Stephanie is a veteran of the food and beverage industry who has led strategy for giants like PepsiCo and Impossible Foods, but her story starts way before that. We talk about her "fell into food" moment selling Girl Scout cookies at age five, and how a lesson from her mother about getting "nine nos to get to the yes" shaped her entire career.</p><p>Stephanie shares her path from driving a Frito-Lay truck to telling Impossible Foods they were "doing it wrong," and eventually building her own firm to help brands navigate the chaotic food landscape. We dive into why so many emerging brands fail by chasing the wrong customers, the "two-week contract" reality of corporate employees, and why she believes the distribution world is about to be rocked. Real talk on integrity, sales logic, and why the supply chain is where the real opportunity lies.</p><p><br /></p><p>Chapters</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 Introduction and Background</p><p>02:36 Aha Moments in Sales</p><p>05:41 Career Progression and Early Experiences</p><p>08:28 The Importance of Integrity in Sales</p><p>11:03 Navigating Corporate Politics</p><p>13:54 Transition to Alohi and Impossible Foods</p><p>16:53 The Challenges of Selling Emerging Brands</p><p>19:45 The Dynamics of Employee vs. Consultant Perspectives</p><p>22:43 The Freedom of Entrepreneurship</p><p>27:49 The Rise and Fall of Plant-Based Brands</p><p>34:48 Transitioning to Consultancy: A New Path</p><p>41:36 Navigating Client Relationships and Networking</p><p>48:11 Guiding Emerging Brands: Where to Start</p><p>53:45 Consumer Trends and the Future of Food</p><p><br /></p><p>Website: <a href="https://elohi.us/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://elohi.us</a></p><p>Elohi LInkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/elohi-strategic-advisors" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/company/elohi-strategic-advisors</a></p><p>Elohi Facebook: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/elohi-strategic-advisors" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/elohistrategicadvisors</a></p><p>Elohi Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elohi.us/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/elohi.us/</a></p><p>Elohi X: <a href="https://x.com/elohiofficial" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://x.com/elohiofficial</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephlind/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephlind/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast.</p><p>YouTube -  <a href="https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr</a> </p><p>Spotify - <a href="https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie</a></p><p>Apple Podcast - <a href="https://apple.co/41RoTm4" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://apple.co/41RoTm4</a></p><p>Pandora - <a href="https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Follow Jeff:</p><p>YouTube:  <a href="https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood</strong></a></p><p>Linkedin: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/7ffb62b4-ee2e-4caa-a6bf-a0617d9f03d9/shows/71b9e7a6-ef76-446c-961e-f95ebb905c3b/episodes/374808f5-62a4-4511-8393-63d536d7fb26/linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food</strong></a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/fell_into_food" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>http://instagram.com/fell_into_food</strong></a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://facebook.com/fellintofood" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>https://facebook.com/fellintofood</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/7ffb62b4-ee2e-4caa-a6bf-a0617d9f03d9/shows/71b9e7a6-ef76-446c-961e-f95ebb905c3b/episodes/2ba5a6b0-69bb-4ef6-832c-2d8350b28470/fellintofood.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>FellintoFood.com</strong></a></p>